atwood



W. A. ATWOOD.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31,1918. 1,323,81 1 Patented Dec. 2,1919.

5 g FiQ.2.- I i Inventor: WinFi eld )I. fltwood,

H is Mttorneg open to criticism 65 pole circuit unrran STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WTNFIELD A. ATWOOD, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPRNY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed December 31, 1918. Serial No. 269,065.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WINFIELD A. Arwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches, particularly to circuit breakers, and has for its object to provide a novel and improved circuit'breaking device which can be positively held latched in circuit closing position, independent of and unaffected by excessive jars or vibrations of the device.

Circuit breakers heretofore known 'in the art have been held closed by a form of 1atch ing means which was easily movable, in response to jars and shocks of the circuit breaker, to releasing position and would not remain latched under these conditions. Particular instances where such excessive jars exist and where circuit breakers of the prior art have failed, may be mentioned the conditions occurring on battleships and similar war craft. On such vessels, the circuit breakers of the prior art connected in power, lighting and signal circuits, used for the protection of these circuits, generators, ammunition hoists, etc., when subjected to the vibrations and shocks caused by heavy cannonading, especially broadsides, have been due to their facility in opening and thus crippling service.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention will be definitely indicated in the claims appended hereto, while the features of construction and mode of operation will be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows the preferred embodiments of my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a circuit breaker, in circuit closing position, embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation and sectional view of the circuit breaker taken along the line 11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the breaker in circuit opening position; and Fig. at is a view, in perspective, of my novel latching and locking mechanism.

In Fig. 1 I have shown my invention a plied, by w'a of illustration, to a doulo e reaker, each eircult breaking unit comprising a fixed main contact 1 and a cooperating movable contact or current carrying member 2 controlled by an operat-- ing member 3 through a suitable operating mechanism l. Each breaker is also provided with cooperating secondary {and tertiary contacts 5 and 6 respectively, as best shown in Fig. 2, to take the are as the breaker opens.

For restraining each circuit breaker 'in circuit closing position, I provide a latching means comprising a movable arm 7 and a cooperating movable arm 8, both arms being secured to a common shaft 9 and movable thereon as a unit. One end of arm 7 carries, pivotally supported therein, a latching member or pawl 10 biased by means of a spring 11, shown in Fig. 1, and a resilient member 12, to latching position. The outer end of arm 8 is provided with a shoulder or latching recess 13, which as best shown in Fig. 4:, is carried by an offset portion 14 at the end of arm 8, the portion of arm 8 in Fig. 4 being shown broken away to more clearly show this construction. The pawl or dog 10 cooperates with the operating member 3 through a portion 15 depending from the operating member and having a latching recess 16 adapted to engage with the pawl 10 to restrain the breaker in circuit closing position, as shown in Fig. 2. For this purpose the point of engagement of the pawl 10 in the latching recess 16 is adapted to be below: a line through the shaft 9 and the pivotal connection of the pawl 10, forming, thereby, an underset latching mechanism. Movement of the arm 8 upward, through shaft 9, causes a downward movement of arm 7, consequently moving the pawl 10 so that its point of engagement with latching recess 16 is above the line through the shaft 9 and the pivotal connection of the pawl,

whereupon the operating member 3 is released and the circuit breaker assumes circuit opening position, as shown in Fig. 3.

For effecting the release of the latching mechanism, as just described, for each breaker, a common tripping means is provided for moving both latching means simultaneously to releasing position. This releasing or tripping means comprises a tripping or releasing pin or member 17 mov. able either at will or automatically into engagement with the ends. of arms 8 which extendninto' the path of movement of the tripping member. For automatic operation, the tripping pin or member 17 is controlled by an armature of an electroresponsive device 18 mounted between the circuit breaker units and operative with or without a time delay, to move its armature into tripping position in response to a predetermined abnormal condition. As is well known, the electroresponsive device 18 is provided with a calibratingtube 19 in which the armature is movable and is also provided, in the form shown, with oppositely located vertical slots 20 through which the tripping member 17 projects.

For hand operation or the release of the latching means at will, I provide an actuating member 21 which, in the arrangement shown, is longitudinally reciprocable and extends through the supporting base for the circuit breaker. Connected to the rear end of the actuating member is an actuating link 22 movable through an opening provided in the circuit breaker support or base and terminating in an engaging recess 23 adapted to engage the tripping member or pin 17. Connected between a fixed point and the end of the actuating member 21 is a guide link 24 biased by spring 25 to return the handtripping mechanism from tripping to normal position. The normal position of the hand tripping mechanism is shown in Fig. 2 and the mechanism in Fig. 3 is shown in tripping position. By pulling the actuating member 21, the actuating link 22 through guide link 24 moves the tripping member 17 upward in its slots 20 to tripping position, as shown in Fig. 3, in which position arm 8 for each breaker is simultaneously moved to cause the release of pawls 10 and the subsequent opening of the breakers, as has been described. It is understood that the hand tripping mechanism described is only shown as an example of how this function can be attained.

In order to prevent excessive. jars from moving the latching means to releasing position, I provide a separate locking means for restraining and holding the latching means in latching position irrespective of any jars or shocks which can take place. For this purpose, my novel locking means comprises a locking member 26 which in the form shown comprises similar portions 27 in each side of the electroresponsive device pivotally supported at their lower ends to abutments secured to the circuit breaker base and movable as a unit by a portion connected at their upper ends. Each portion 27 is provided with a guide or slot 28 which, in the configmration best shown in Fig. 4, comprises first a vertical portion, then a slanting portion, and finally a vertical portion, the configuration of the slot depending upon the function to be accom)lished, as will be later described. The 100 ing mem.

ber 26 is so arranged that the tripping pins 17 which extend through the vertical slots of the calibrating tube also extend into the guides or slots 28 of the portions 27 to hold the locking member in looking osition.

At the top of each portion 2 is provided a wingor latching portion 29 adapted to cooperate With each arm 8 to restrain the latching means in latching position, the latches 29 in locking position engagingthe shoulders 13 on arms 8 to lock them against movement as best shown in Fig. 4. The locking member 26 is biased to locking position by a spring or by gravity, the return of the pin 17 to normal position also aiding in moving the locking member to locking position. It is understood that the locking member 26 for a single pole breaker may com rise but one portion 27 with its slot 28. he latching and locking means in circuit closing position is shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In this position the movement of the'latching means to releasing position is prevented by the engagement of the shoulders 13 by latches 29 of the locking member, and the locking member 26 is held in locking position unaffected by vibration by the pin 17 in its slots 28. Thus in this construction excessive jars or vibrations have no effect on the latching mechanism. Upon the vmovement of the tripping member 17 either automatically or in response to the actuating member 21,, the member is moved upward and guided in a substantially vertical path by means of slots 20 of the calibrating tube 19. The initial movement of the member 17 in slots 28 of the locking member 26 is without effect, as the initial position of slots 28 is also vertical but as the tripping member reaches the slanting portion of slots 28, the locking member 26 is gradually moved toward the supporting base to unlocking position carrying portions 27 thereof with latches 29 out of engagement with shoulders 13, thus allowing the latching means freedom to move to releasing position. Further movement of the tripping member 17 causes it to traverse the final vertical portion of slots 28 which serve to hold the locking means 26 in unlocking position and at the same time, the tripping member 17 engages the lower surfaces of arms 8, rocking the arms to cause the movement of the latching means to releasing position. The return of the tripping member 17 to initial position assists in returning the locking member 26 to a position to again lock the latching means when the circuit breaker is closed.

The vertical configuration of the lower portion of slots 28 provides a freedom of movement of the tripping member 17 without effecting the release of the locking member 26 as the tripping member must be raised to the slanting position of the slots before the locking member is afi'ected. If

other operating characteristics are desired the slot may assume other forms as required.

While I have described my invention in concrete form and as operating in a specific manner in accordance with the patent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto as various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member, of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to hold said breaker in closed position, a locking member for holding said latching means in latching position, and means for maintain in said locking member in locking position independent of vibrations of said breaker.

2. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member, of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to hold said breaker in closed position, a locking member for preventing a movement of said latching means to releasing. position, a tripping member adapted in normal position to hold said locking member in locking position but operative to move said locking member to unlocking position and said latching means to releasing position.

3. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrain said breaker in circuit closing position, a locking member for holding said latching means to latching position provided with a guide, and a tripping member movable in said guide to control said locking member.

4. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrain said breaker in circuit closing position, a locking member for preventing the movement of said latching means to releasing position provided with a slot therein, and a tripping member movable in said slot to control the operation of said locking v member.

leasing position, and a tripping member normally in position to hold said locking member in looking position.

6. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means coiiperating with said member to re strain said breaker in circuit closing position, locking means unaffected by vibrations of said breaker for holding said latching means to latching position, a tripping member for holding said locking means in locking position, and means whereby small initial movements of said tripping member will still maintain said locking member in locking position.

7. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a .movable current carrying member,

of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to hold said breaker in closed position, a locking member for holding said latching means in latching position and a tripping member normally in position to prevent movement .of said locking member to unlocking position, said tripping member in moving to trip-ping posit-ion maintaining said locking member In looking position until it has reached a predetermined point in its path of travel.

8. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrain said breaker in closed position, a looking member for holding said latching means.

in latching position having a slot therein, and a tripping member. movable in said slot to controlsaid locking member, said slot having a configuration whereby said locking member is unaffected by initial movements of said tripping member.

9. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member, of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to hold said breaker in closed position, looking means for holding said latching means in latching position, a trippingi member normally holding said locking means in locking position and unaffected by vibrations of said breaker, and means whereby said locking means is gradually moved to unlocking position as said tripping member moves to tripping pbsition.

10. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrain said breaker in circuit closing position, means biased to lock said latching means in latched position, said means being provided with a slot, a tripping means movable in said slot n tripping direction to first move 531d locking means to unlocking position,

and then move said latching means to releasing position.

11. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable'current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrainsaid breaker in closed position, a pivotally mounted member provided with a slot and cooperating with said latching means to lock said means in releasing position, a tripping member normally engaging said slot in position to prevent the movement of said pivotally mounted member to unlocking position but movable to tripping posi tion to move said member to unlocking position.

'12. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrain said breaker in closed position, a pivotally mounted member provided with a slot and cooperating with said latching means to lock said means in latching position, a tripping member movable in said slot to control said locking member, said slot having a configuration whereby said locking member is restrained in locked position when said tripping member is in normal position, and moved to unlocking position upon movement of said tripping member to tripping position.

13. In a circuit breaker, the combination with a movable current carrying member of an operating member therefor, latching means cooperating with said member to restrain said breaker in closed position, a. pivotally mounted member provided with a slot and cooperating with said la-tchin means to lock said means in latching position, a tripping member movable in said slot to control said locking member, said slot having a configuration to restrain said locking member in looking position when said tripping member is in normal position and upon initial movements of the same, and to move said locking member to unlocking position upon movement of said tripping member to tripping position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of December, 1918.

VVINFIELD A. ATWOOD. 

